From this perspective it’s easy to see why the strength of our nonprofit community has a direct impact on the vigor of our region. And the best way to cultivate both is by engaging our young people on volunteer boards – and preparing them to lead when the current generation retires.

Many young professionals are eager to serve but feel unprepared for board service or unqualified to lead. They aren’t even sure how to approach a board and offer their service.

These trends aren’t unique to the Toledo area: according to BoardSource’s report Leading with Intent 2015, only 16 percent of board members nationwide were under the age of 40 last year, while 68 percent were between the ages of 40-64.

It’s also important to have board leaders who reflect society. One in three Americans is a millennial.Last summer, they surpassed the number of baby boomers in the workforce. Nonprofit boards will operate optimally in strategy, skill and creativity when they are representative of multi-generational leaders. Having a multi-generational team is important to understanding the needs of an organization’s constituents, establishing credibility and cultivating connections with donors and supporters.

More than any other living generation, the millennial generation is focused on making a difference, being hands-on and pursuing what it loves. They are natural board leaders…when given the chance.

Our solution was to create a training series aimed at preparing next generation leaders to serve the missions of Toledo’s nonprofit organizations: The Board Member Accelerator.The Board Member Accelerator delivers a real-life, hands-on education that empowers EPIC members to successfully govern nonprofit organizations. This series is the first of its kind in Toledo and, to our knowledge, nationally. It includes topics such as:

The board member’s purpose, roles and responsibilities, including the fiduciary and legal responsibilities

An exploration of participants’ personal values and skills, and how to research and identify nonprofits whose missions light them on fire

Signs of a healthy board and organization, and ideas for how to handle some common challenges that could arise

Basic training on best practices in nonprofit fundraising, marketing, leadership, succession planning, strategic planning, conflict resolution, finances and being an ambassador for an organization

We also coach participants on how to approach an organization about board service and provide related tools and templates they can customize and use right away. Through case studies and group discussions, participants even have a chance to practice dealing with real-life nonprofit challenges.

Within a year of completing the training series, participants are expected to reach out to a board, clarify expectations of board service with that organization and begin serving on a board that aligns with their passions.

The potential for engaging young people through the Board Member Accelerator Series is great. In this inaugural year of the program we’re preparing 25 energetic, qualified young professionals to serve... If we replicate this each year, can you envision the impact on our society?

​Heather Gallant is an advisor at Aly Sterling Philanthropy were she guides nonprofits and their leaders toward organizational and financial stability. She has experience with mature and grassroots organizations alike, and has worked at Wellesley College, Bowling Green State University, American Model United Nations in Chicago, the American Red Cross, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council in Washington, D.C. and as an AmeriCorps VISTA.

This program was an idea from our membership and it has materialized into a phenomenal opportunity for the young professionals in the Toledo reason. We have incredible numbers of non profit organizations serving our community. And to know we are making direct impact on the way our next leaders will serve those missions with a heightened and effective skill set is powerful. My hats off to those individuals who spent the last 12 weeks committing to this course and becoming game changers in our community.

We are a new tutoring center for children with Dyslexia, Dyslexia Education Training Center, and are in the process of filing our 501c3 paperwork. We are very interested in adding board members. Your program sounds wonderful how could we connect?